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[Leatra]

No narcolepsy. It's delayed sleep syndrome. I feel sleep deprived unless I sleep until noon.

Do you think I'm just defending polyphasic sleeping? I wrote a page telling this fad is based upon experiments and there is no proof. I'm not %100 sure either. I'm experimenting. I'm not trying to create myself an imaginary test of willpower.

I think I'm just wasting my time with this thread.

[DJ]

Get a career where you always work night shifts, sleep till afternoon, profit.

[Ottofar]

I read an article about sleeping schedules before the 20th century, and it seems that people used to sleep for four hours, then wake up for four, eat, chat or even go visit their neighbors, then sleep for another four. Schedule like this was apparently normal in the 18th century, but progressively became rarer, and by 1920 it was completely gone. But yeah.

[MadocComadrin]

Just to keep people informed, narcolepsy is the random, nearly if not completely irresistible (but concious) sleepiness at innapropriate times, regardless of a persons sleep status (narcoleptics experience their sleep attacks even if they're perfectly healthy in regards to sleep otherwise).

delayed (and advanced) sleep phase disorder is a circadian rythym disorder, where people's sleep schedules are later (or earlier) than the average population's. IE. They still can and need to sleep the same amount as everyone else, but can only do so on a different schedule, such as 4am to noon (or 6PM to 2AM).

Anyway, Leatra, have you tried light treatment and chronotherapy? I'd do those first, as they're forms of professional treatment. Also if you're in the US, (IIRC) circadian rhythm disorders are covered under the ADA (and probably analogous laws in other countries), so you should be able to work with your employer/school/whatever to help you out.

[RedKing]

I pretty regularly operate on 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Usually it works that I'll do that for six days, then collapse and sleep 12 hours or so for one day. Then back to the 3-4 hours thing for most of a week.

I have no idea if I'm shaving years off my life or not, but it mostly works for me. Although as I get older I find I'm getting suddenly drowsy shortly after lunch for an hour or so, then hit my second wind. If I could take like a 30min nap around 2pm, I'd be golden most days.

[MadocComadrin]

A 30 min nap around 2pm is pretty much normal nowadays, especially after lunch. What you're doing isn't the healthiest thing in the world, but if it works for you, it works.

[Sir Finkus]

I also used to have similar sleep issues.  What fixed it for me was simply making whenever I got home from school/work my bedtime.  It doesn't allow for much of a social life, but you don't get into a situation where you're rushed in the morning.  The trick is that you just have to go directly to bed when you get home so you don't end up playing dwarf fortress for 12 hours straight instead of sleeping.

The whole polyphastic thing just REEKS of pseudo-scientific hogwash. 

First off, proponents of the method make extraordinary claims that contradict everything we know about sleep.  Yes, occasionally science has "the earth revolves around the sun" moments, but they are extremely rare.

Another red flag are the conditions of failure.  Miss a nap by a few minutes in the first month and you apparently have to pretty much start from scratch.  This allows people to delude themselves into thinking the method will work if they only try harder. 

Next, we have the dubious "celebrity endorsements" that fall flat under any scrutiny.

Of course we also have a little bit of the "us vs the establishment" going on.  I detect quite a bit of resentment in a lot of these blogs towards traditional medicine and people who doubt, or refuse to accommodate their eccentric sleep patterns.

It's also extremely unnatural.  Has there been a single society throughout recorded history that had widespread use of the uberman system, or anything like it?  Feel free to call me out on that if you find one.

I still haven't seen any scientists or doctors endorse the method, only a bunch of blogs and forum posts.  Hell, even a blog by a (medical) doctor living on this schedule would be something.  Those anti-vac assholes (yes, they are assholes) at least have a faked study.  Anyone can write a blog saying just about anything they want.  In fact, I think I'll start a blog on the benefits of methamphetimine use on my sleep habits.  I can stay up for DAYS with no ill effects, and I feel great!

The reason I'm trying to discourage you from doing this is that it's unhealthy.  Sleep doesn't get the respect it deserves, and not getting enough of it can have serious health consequences such as a suppressed immune system and heart disease.  Many systems in the body are set up to be in sync with your sleep cycle.  It should not be tampered with lightly.

I'll echo what a few people here have said.  If you're worried you're not getting enough sleep, or that your sleep isn't quality, see a doctor, not a blog.

[G-Flex]

Has there been a single society throughout recorded history that had widespread use of the uberman system, or anything like it?

There hasn't been a single person who's used the Uberman system. Even the Dymaxion system hasn't been proven.

[NinjaBoot]

Has there been a single society throughout recorded history that had widespread use of the uberman system, or anything like it?

There hasn't been a single person who's used the Uberman system. Even the Dymaxion system hasn't been proven.

Are Chuck Norris jokes allowed? -_-

There are alot of physical feats that humans accomplish that are seen as impossible for any normal person to do.  Can anybody believe that someone climbed Mount Everest before all of the technological advances and survived?

As for sleeping for so little, well.. it can be done.  It is not something that just anyone can accomplish. 

[Flying Dice]

I pretty regularly operate on 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Usually it works that I'll do that for six days, then collapse and sleep 12 hours or so for one day. Then back to the 3-4 hours thing for most of a week.

I have no idea if I'm shaving years off my life or not, but it mostly works for me. Although as I get older I find I'm getting suddenly drowsy shortly after lunch for an hour or so, then hit my second wind. If I could take like a 30min nap around 2pm, I'd be golden most days.

That sounds exactly like what I do most of the time.

[Loud Whispers]

Has there been a single society throughout recorded history that had widespread use of the uberman system, or anything like it?

There hasn't been a single person who's used the Uberman system. Even the Dymaxion system hasn't been proven.

Are Chuck Norris jokes allowed? -_-

There are alot of physical feats that humans accomplish that are seen as impossible for any normal person to do.  Can anybody believe that someone climbed Mount Everest before all of the technological advances and survived?

As for sleeping for so little, well.. it can be done.  It is not something that just anyone can accomplish.

GOOO WIKIPEDIA LINK GOOO

[G-Flex]

There are alot of physical feats that humans accomplish that are seen as impossible for any normal person to do.

There are also plenty that people don't or haven't accomplished. The Uberman sleep cycle is one of them. The Dymaxion system is, in all probability, another. There is no evidence of the former being accomplished and very slim evidence of the latter. Can we please not have this "absolutely anything is possible if I put my mind to it, even if everyone else has failed and I'm not doing anything particularly new or special" attitude about these things?

[Flying Dice]

There are alot of physical feats that humans accomplish that are seen as impossible for any normal person to do.

There are also plenty that people don't or haven't accomplished. The Uberman sleep cycle is one of them. The Dymaxion system is, in all probability, another. There is no evidence of the former being accomplished and very slim evidence of the latter. Can we please not have this "absolutely anything is possible if I put my mind to it, even if everyone else has failed and I'm not doing anything particularly new or special" attitude about these things?

Why not? All we need to do is go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I have actually gotten on a biphasic sleep cycle, albeit unintentionally. I didn't like it. It messed with my perception of time and made me feel like my entire waking life was being spent in school.

Anyway, I also would doubt the possibility of the more extreme cycles, which is too bad. I would love the opportunity to live in a manner that left me sleeping as little as possible. I just don't like sleeping very much, because it feels like a waste of time, it's something I've had difficulty doing ever since I was an infant, and I generally have as many (if not more) nightmares as I do non-horrifying dreams. If there was a way I could never sleep again without ill effect, I'd take it.

There are alot of physical feats that humans accomplish that are seen as impossible for any normal person to do.  Can anybody believe that someone climbed Mount Everest before all of the technological advances and survived?

The only people who can climb Mount Everest without serious technological assistance are the hardiest of the Sherpa, and they're packed full of genetic mutations which make that possible. Such are the benefits of adaptation and evolution, but most humans actually can't accomplish the things that they do.

[Sir Finkus]

Has there been a single society throughout recorded history that had widespread use of the uberman system, or anything like it?

There hasn't been a single person who's used the Uberman system. Even the Dymaxion system hasn't been proven.

Are Chuck Norris jokes allowed? -_-

There are alot of physical feats that humans accomplish that are seen as impossible for any normal person to do.  Can anybody believe that someone climbed Mount Everest before all of the technological advances and survived?

As for sleeping for so little, well.. it can be done.  It is not something that just anyone can accomplish.

GOOO WIKIPEDIA LINK GOOO

Chris Robinson of Edinburgh, Scotland who believes his dreams can predict the future
Miroslaw Magola of Brighton, England who exhibits telekinetic powers;
Daniel meets Isao Machii of Los Angeles, a modern-day samurai with such precise sword skills that he can cut a bullet in half;
Daniel meets martial artist Tom Cameron of Chicago, Illinois, the "Human Stun Gun" who focuses the power of "Chi" to deliver knockdown blows to opponents without touching them
Mike Rutzen from Cape Town, South Africa who claims to be able to control sharks.

Sounds like it's a pretty credible show.

:edit: Oh, and I didn't say it was impossible.  I have no doubt that people have done it before, maybe even for as long as a couple of months.  I just doubt anyone has stuck to it for longer than that unless they have some kind of medical condidtion.